How To Not Go Into Debt For The Holidays

With Thanksgiving in the United States just passing us last week, it means that the gift giving holidays are quickly approaching us. They are all this month! With whatever holiday you celebrate, this is usually an expensive time of the year for anyone and everyone.

I am a firm believer that you can have a great holiday season without going broke or busting your holiday budget. Here are my tips on how to not go into debt for the holidays:

Avoid using your credit card when shopping if you don’t know how to use them correctly.

Credit cards can sometimes lead people to spending money uncontrollably, and that can be easy to do around the holidays.

Instead, bring cash when shopping so that you are forced to stay within that cash amount. You will be thinking more carefully about each purchase this way because you don’t want to go over the amount of money that you brought.

Stick to a holiday budget.

Before you head out for the store, you need to create a realistic holiday budget. You should set out how much money you plan on spending for any dinners, any parties, any gifts, any events, and more. Create a budget that YOU can afford.

Use coupons.

There are always coupons out there, and around the holidays the amount of coupons definitely increases. There is probably a coupon or discount for many things that you most likely need or want out there. If you are having trouble, just type in “XXXX coupon code”. With the “XXXX” part, of course, being whatever retailer you are interested in shopping at.

Always compare pricing.

If you can’t find any coupons or discounts for an item that you need to buy, you should always compare pricing as well. You may be able to find a comparable item at another store that fits what you need. It may be cheaper as well!

Use reward points.

If you know how to use credit cards correctly, then hopefully you have some rewards points. You may have enough to do your whole holiday gift list without actually having to spend any money. That’s a definite win!

How much do you plan on spending this holiday season? Will you be going into debt this December?